Multiple-unit retort



G M. GORDEN 4 MULTIPLE UNIT Rn'roml Filed Nov. 22, 1921 5'Sheetssheer .f1

Patented May 19, 1925.

o MURI. GoRnEN, or PORTLAND,

OREGON. AMERICAN BY-PRODUCTS CORPORATIO ASSIGNOR.- BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO N, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

Moultrie-UNIT RETORT.

Application leld November V22, v1921.

To r/ZZ whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that I, G M URL Gorman, a citizen of the- United States, and a resident of thc city of Portland, county of Multnornah, and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in .Multiple-y Unit Retorts, of which the following isa specification.-

This invention relates to the separation of volatile products from, solid carbonaceous uiaterlal such waste products,

` torts and conveying the evolvedn vapors to a an improved method andv apparatus. whichl confusing systei In prior systems the distillation was done withone graduated heat, while in my new improved, method I yhave retorts with --different heats which volatilize each family of" products in separate retorts.

The object of this invention is t'o provide will overcome the objectionable ,features of volatilizing these carbonaceous materials by a continuous process.l When the materials are brought up fromI heat necessary to vaporize the leastvolatile substance the intermediatestagesproduce a certain gummy mass ink the retort. This handicaps highly efficient and' ready vapor` izing because the vmass does not present a sufficient open surface to the heat. By vaporizing the light, medium and heavy.' fuels separately vWe pass these critical temperaturcs hurriedly and overcome the evil ir'.- fluenccs ot' -this partial vaporization. The three distinct classes are the light, or :for example gasoline, kerosono: the medium, or l'ubrlcatlng oils; and the heavy, the parafiins and waxes.

The products which Vare not' volatilized which drive ofi themore volatile as shale, coal, saw-dust` orA -by heating the same in re' Land prepares the material. ordinary heat to the.

.passed around it.

of products which `volatilize from these carbonaceous'materials the second retort l.

chamber and therst 'and' second sei-iai No. 51eme.

the third retort, condenscrs, and sources of steam, power and heat. Il Fig. 2 is placed alongside of Fig. l, and the lincs superimpose one 'anotl-icr, a correct idea can be obtained ot' the complete asscinbly.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View of the'end of one of the rctorts and shows the lmanner of conveying the material in the retorts and the means of. passing tliei'naterial from one retort to the next. l

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View taken on' the line H of Fig. 3, and shows the means for agitating the material in the retort so as to prevent a gummy mass :from forming on the bottom and thereby prevent thorough retorting.

The description of which I attain ,my Shale, or Whatever used` is lbrokenup into pieces that would readily slevethrough one-quarter mesh and is dumped in the 'hopper a. It then passes through a preheating chamber 7; which drics This preheating chamber is heated-by steam coils which are The dried material then passes; from this preheatingchamberto a hopper c from which it is conveyed by an ,auger like conveyor rl to the first retort e. This retort is heated to a fixed temperature ywhich will volatilize all of the light family of products. In it revolves another spiral conveyor lv to which are attached buckets to which agitate thematerial so that it presents an even depth throughout-the retort and expedites thorough. Volatilization. This conveyor. revolves at a fixed speed and allows the material a certain length ottime to pass through this retort.

hopper f through which the shale drops to a spiral conveyor o which passes it along to kThese intermediate conveyors are of a relatively small diameter and therefore, Work at an. increased speed. The `action of theshale comingdown from the retort fills them to capacity and thus makes an' airseal which prevents the heat ot the rctorts from passing back into the previou's or lower heated retort. The material in this second retort Ii is then subjected tov a higher heat which drives ofi the medium At the endis anothe 1 is conducted through vertical tubes at the top to appropriate tubes which convey-this vapor to a condenser. In the accompanying diagrams the vertical tubes shown as e", ha and-Icl have adjustable battle plates which prevent the solid material, such as dust, from passing through the tubes and into the condenser where they would tend to clog the system.

scribed are however, variable to suitideas voflmanuliacture providing such varia,-

1. A distilling apparatus of thecharaetex: described comprising a plurality ofv hlti`- zontally arrangedretorts which are .heated independently ofeaeh other with the ends of the retorts spaced and in step down formation, a horizontal cylindrical passage Way The shale then passes from this retort lconnecting two adjacent retorts, a hopper through a similar hopper z' and conveyor j to the third retort k where like treatment drives oil the heavy waxes and parans, The residue then passes out through a hopn per Z and the spiral conveyorm to another A conveyor n where this residue is passed to the slagpile.'

As indicated before, the vapor dr1ven 0H rises through the vertical tubes e3, 7L and k for the passage way communicating with the precedingyretort, the passage -Way being smaller in diameter than the retorts, a spiral screw' operable in said passage way and underlying the hopper and adapted to yconvey material out ofone retort into the other,` the saidspiral screw being of substantially the same diameter as the passage way and thus adapted to provide a heat seal between to the vapor chamber e', h and 7c through Athe reto the conveying tubes c2, k2 and k2 to a suitf able condenser indicated as o. There the vapor is liquiied and is drained off. Part of the vapor driven ofi' will not condense and this gas is allowed to pass from the top u ot' the condenser through pipes. indicated as o to. a vacuum pump p.- The actionof this vacuum pump not only draws thegas from the condenser but also tends to create a region'of low pressure in4 all of the conveying tubes from the retorts and thus expedites the conveying away of these va ors so that scorching and combustion Wil be prevented. y

The gas from the vacuum pump is deliv" ered to a gas storage tank g from where it passes through suitable pipes r which connect with the exterior burners r', r2, and r3 which heat the separate retorts. These gas pipes are allyequipped with valves-which' regulate the pressure' and thus allow the tem erature in the retorts to be regulated. T e exterior gas iameis one source of hea-t to the retorts. Another source of heat is coiled sections t5 of pipe which contain super heated steam, which is received thru a mainpipe t and branch pipes t', t2, and 3. and which provided by steam boiler s.` This steam vcoil passes through .a hollow cyl 2 indcr 'u' and is blown oil'v nt the end. No steam passes into the vapori-zing chambers but the heat is inorelyheat otradi'ation from the hollow cylinder w. y My n'ianner ot providing tw separate sources ot heat allows for more even distribution and closer adjustmcnt. i`

The heat of the steam can be also regulated by suitable valves andthe' press-ure reduced or raised to the conditions required.

The illustrations and description above given are nicrely intended to show a practical inode of construction of my device. The particular details. of construction above de 2. A distilling apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of horizontally arranged retorts which are heated independently of each other with the ends of the retorts spaced and in step down for mation, means in each retort for. passin material' -thru the retort at a fixed rate o speed, a horizontal paage way connecting two adjacent retorts, a hopper for the assageway communicating with vthe prece wing retort, a. spiral screw operable in said passage way adapted to convey material out of one retort 'into the other, a vapor chamber mounted on each retort and connected therewith by a plurality of passage ways, and baille plates 'arranged in said passage ways thereby to prevent solid matter from pass ing into said vapor chambers.

3. A distilling apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of hori- '/,ontallyI arranged retorts which are heated f independently of-each other, and a plurality of heating means..` one of said means including a steamycoil extending longitudinally and axially of the retorts and the other heatingllneans being-located beneath the rctort and` spaced therefrom.

4,-' A. distilling apparatus of the character described .comprisinga plurality of horizontally arranged 'retorts which are healed vindependently of each other, a spiral screw in each vretort for passing material thru the retort at a fixed rate-ot speed. a passage way connectingr two adjacent retorts, a

spiral screw operablel in said passage vvav adapted to convey material out of one retort vinto the other, a vapor chamber mounted on eac-h' retort extending substantially the entire'length of the retort and connected therewith by a plurality of passage ways.

5. A distilling apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of horizontally arranged retorts which are heated llO independently of each other, a spiral screw in each retort for passing material thru the retort at a fixed rate ofjffpeed, a passege way connecting two adjacent retorts, a spiral screw operable in said passage Way adapted 4- vsind vapor chambers.

to convey material out of one retort into y the other7 a vapor chambermo'unted on euch retort extending substantially the entirev length of the retort and connected therewith by a-p1uralty of passage Ways, and bae 10 plates arranged in said passage Ways thereby to prevent seylid matter from pas:s g into G MURL GoRN. 

